starring DONALD SUTHERLAND, MARK WAHLBERG, ED NORTON, CHARLIZE THERON.
We've been fobbed off with the remake of 'The Italian Job' to an extraordinarily shocking extent.
For starters, the way this remake is ended just plain sucks and is such a cliched and boring cop-out compared to the classic climax of the original Michael Caine-starrer.
The plot is loosely retained, even if the heist of gold bullion right here, right now takes place in Venice� and cue an admittedly super-cool chase along the cute Venetian waterways on speedboats. The guys get away with it too, and veteran-in-charge Donald Sutherland dutifully gives his team a huge pat on the back: a team comprised of Mark ('Rockstar') Wahlberg, Brit hard-case Jason ('The Transporter') Statham, zany dude Seth ('Rat Race') Green and Mos Def. Oh, and Ed Norton - though he selfishly defects, kills Sutherland in bitching cold blood and nicks off with the bullion before kindly leaving the rest of his so-called mates for dead.
But Wahlberg, Statham, Green and obligatory funny man Def survive and track Norton down in Los Angeles�. where they waste no time in getting to work on retrieving 'their' money with the help of beautiful safe-cracking genius Charlize ('Devil's Advocate') Theron, which leads up to a daring plan to break in to Norton's house, nick-back what they're owed and make a speedily deft getaway through LA in Mini Coopers.
Which would be all glossily swell, great and satisfying were it not for the huge mid-section of the film which is all dull talk and no action whatsoever. Once the racy finale does arrive you'll probably have dozed off already which is a huge faux-pas that the film's makers should be ashamed of. If you're expecting non-stop excitement and sheer fun you'd better opt quick-sharp for 'Pirates of The Caribbean.'
Hell, even when it does arrive This Italian Job's action is pretty staid and executed with little or no originality-biased approach.
The half-attempts at light-hearted humour do show promise and Norton does cut a mean bad guy with no morals or consideration for others whatsoever. Still, stuck in the ever-imposing shadow of The Real Italian Job, this 21st Century version sadly seems to burn out before it's even begun.
3/5 (STEVE RUDD)